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Thunder Mesa is the fictional town in Frontierland at Disneyland Paris.

Background[]

History[]

According to the folklore of shoshone tribes which inhabited Thunder Mesa, Thunder Mesa was the roost of the legendary Thunderbird, who guarded the gold within Big Thunder Mountain from any who dared take it, creating earthquakes with flaps from its powerful wings.

In 1840, white colonists arrived in the area of Big Thunder Mountain searching the land for precious minerals and other riches, their search would soon prove successful. They would violently force out the local shoshone peoples in their greed and xenophobia to do this. A rich vein of gold was discovered in the red rocks of Big Thunder Mountain and as soon as word got out, more and more settlers streamed into the area, transforming the serene wilderness into a lively and steadily-growing gold-rush town. The founder, an evil man called Henry Ravenswood, named the town Thunder Mesa.

For his own family, the increasingly-wealthy Mr. Ravenswood began construction on a grand mansion on a hill overlooking the sprawling town. Apart from the four-story manor-house painted in white with a red gable roof, the estate encompassed vast gardens decorated with marble statues as well as the family cemetery on the banks of the river.

Its owner’s dearest pride and joy, however, was his beautiful young daughter Melanie. She grew up protected, free to pass her time in the expansive manor gardens under Henry’s watchful eye. However, as she grew older, things began to take a turn. Henry was incredibly overprotective of his daughter, distrustful of any man trying to court her and he had hoped to keep her in town. Additionally, townspeople were undermining his authority and taking gold nuggets from the mine without him knowing. In 1860, shortly before Melanie was to wed a train engineer named Jake Evans, an earthquake struck Thunder Mesa, killing Henry and dropping half of the town into what is now known as Phantom Canyon. Melanie's groom however would be killed shortly before the wedding by a mysterious Phantom, said to be Henry's restless spirit. Melanie began endlessly searching for him, never to be seen again, with Ravenswood Manor becoming known by the locals as Phantom Manor.

With the loss of the Ravenswoods and Big Thunder's gold, Thunder Mesa settled into a quieter river town.

Notable features[]

  • Big Thunder Island:
  • Boot Hill:
  • Cottonwood Creek:
  • Ravenswood Manor:
  • Rivers of the Far West:

Appearances[]

Disneyland[]

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad[]

In Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a sign in the town of Rainbow Ridge, pointing towards Thunder Mesa along with the locations of Tumbleweed, and Grizzly Gulch.

Rivers of America[]

An illustration of Thunder Mesa appears on an advertisement for the Mark Twain Riverboat, depicting locations such as Fort Comstock.

Disneyland Paris[]

Frontierland[]

Thunder Mesa is the setting for Frontierland in Disneyland Paris.

Main Street, U.S.A.[]

Magic Kingdom[]

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad[]

In the queue for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a portrait of Big Thunder Mountain which shows Big Thunder Island as part of the range. During refurbishments, newspapers for the, "Butterfly Stage Line" are hung up identifying the coaches as connecting Rainbow Ridge and Tumbleweed to Thunder Mesa.

Trivia[]

External links[]

v - e - d
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Disney Parks
Big Thunder Mountain RailroadPhantom ManorMine Train Through Nature's WonderlandBig Thunder RanchLegends of Frontierland: Gold Rush!Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine CarsPecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & CafeThe Western River ExpeditionGolden Horseshoe Saloon
Locations
Big Thunder Mountain • Ravenswood Manor • Rainbow RidgeTumbleweedThunder MesaGrizzly Gulch • Big Grizzly Mountain • Stillwater Junction • ArizonaCalifornia
Characters
Barnabas T. BullionJason ChandlerHenry RavenswoodSpirit of Big ThunderBilly the Disney GoatGeorge WillikersCumulus IsobarTyrannosaurus rexMadame Zarkov • T.W. Bullion • The Halve Knives GangPecos BillBeacon Joe • Cousin Elrond • Rosita • Old Prospector • Liddy Stockley • Colonel T.R. ClydesdaleSlue-Foot SueVultures

Characters from Spinoffs: Abigail Bullion • Onawa • Dolfo • Marybeth Bullion

Miscellaneous
Big Thunder Mining CompanyThe Ballad of Big Thunder MountainSociety of Explorers and Adventurers • Shoshone Tribe • Bandito Gang


v - e - d
Disney Parks - The Haunted Mansion - Transparent Logo
Media
Films: The Haunted Mansion (video/soundtrack) • Haunted Mansion (video/soundtrack)

Television specials: Muppets Haunted Mansion
Shows: Chibi Tiny TalesRandom Rings
Books: Tales from the Haunted MansionThe Haunted MansionDisney Kingdoms: The Haunted MansionKingdom KeepersThe Haunted Mansion: Imagineering a Disney ClassicThe Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies
Video Games: Adventures in the Magic KingdomThe Haunted MansionWalt Disney World ExplorerKinect: Disneyland AdventuresDisney Infinity: 2.0 EditionDisney Crossy RoadDisney Emoji BlitzThe Haunted Mansion: The Black Widow Bride

Disney Parks
The Haunted MansionPhantom ManorMystic ManorHaunted Mansion HolidayMemento MoriMuseum of the Weird
Characters
Ghost HostMadame LeotaCaretakerMaster GraceyHatbox GhostHitchhiking GhostsThe Singing BustsGeorge HightowerConstance HatchawayRavenCaptain GoreLittle LeotaOrganistThe Coffin OccupantSally SlaterThe BridePickwickThe MarinerPrudence PockBluebeardDeathThe ExecutionerThe Beheaded KnightDuelistsGramsAlexander NitrokoffQuicksand MenWerecat LadyBlack PrinceMedusaThe Watchful BustsMiss April DecemberDraculaSpidersOne-Eyed Black CatShadow PianistThe HellhoundHaunted ArmorThe MummyGargoylesThe AlligatorBatsThe Purple ShroudOrgan BansheesWraithsHaunted TreesCaretaker's DogPhantom FiveGraveyard OwlsGraveyard CatsPop-Up GhostsThe King, the Queen, and the DuchessBicycle GhostsGraveyard SpectersDread FamilyPlaque Devil

Phantom Manor: Melanie RavenswoodHenry RavenswoodMartha RavenswoodGoliathThe GardenerThe River CreatureJake the ForemanThe Ticket SellerThe ApothecaryMayor of Phantom Canyon
Mystic Manor: Henry MysticAlbertCaptain Mary OceaneerMaestro D'ElfmanChinese Dragon StatueChinese ArmorCarnivorous PlantSamurai ArmorLava IdolTribal Totem PolesDrummer IdolWarrior IdolsThe Monkey King Statue
Haunted Mansion Holiday: Jack SkellingtonOogie BoogieLock, Shock and BarrelSallyZeroThe Vampire Teddy-BearZeroThe Giant SnakeThe Man-Eating WreathThe One Hiding Under Your BedSkeleton Reindeer
The Museum of the the Weird: The Mistress of EvilThe CandlemanMadame ZarkovThe Grandfather Coffin ClockThe Ghost FishThe Beast Man
Characters from Spinoffs: Elizabeth HenshawRamsleyEmmaEzraJim EversSara EversMegan EversMichael EversZombiesZeke HollowayAtticus ThornAmicus ArcaneDanny CroweMaxwell KeepMelody KeepRoland KeepThe Fiery DragonBen MatthiasFather KentGabbieHarrietBruce DavisTravisPatVic

Songs
Grim Grinning Ghosts

Haunted Mansion Holiday: Kidnap the Sandy ClawsMaking Christmas
Mystic Manor: Mystic Manor Theme Song
Muppets Haunted Mansion: Rest in PeaceLife HereafterTie the Knot TangoDancing in the Moonlight
Spinoffs: Down by the Old Mill StreamShe'll Be Coming 'Round the MountainBy the Beautiful SeaWhen the Saints Go Marching InSuperstitionBridal ChorusHis Soul Left Gloss on the Rose

See also
Gracey ManorThe Flying DutchmanThe Ghost Relations DepartmentBat StanchionsGriffin StatuesFloating CandelabraFace ArmchairGrandfather ClockLeota's SpellbookPipe OrganTarot CardsMystic ManorRavenswood ManorBig Thunder MountainThunder MesaBig Thunder Mining CompanyIocane PowderBeacon of SoulsSoul GemsSeaman's RingCrump ManorEvers and Evers Real Estate
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